Adjustable lift-propulsion device for aircraft



Nov. 9, 1954 c. G. TAYLOR ADJUSTABLE LIFT-PROPULSION DEVICE FOR AIRCRAFT S SheetS-Sheet 1 Filed Dec. 17, 1951 FIG. 2

INVENTOR. C. GILBERT TAYLOR ,9 ATTORNEY.

Nov. 9, 1954 7 c. G. TAYLOR 2,693,920

ADJUSTABLE LIFT-PROPULSION DEVICE FOR AIRCRAFT I Filed Dec. 17, 1951 3 S heets-Sh,eet 2 INVENTOR. c. GILBERT TAYLOR FIG. .7 1

ATTORNEY Nov. 9, 1954 c. G. TAYLOR 2,693,920

ADJUSTABLE LIFT-PROPULSION DEVICE FOR AIRCRAFT Filed Dec. 17, 1951 T a Sheets-Shet 5 INVENTOR. C. GILBERT TAYLOR ATTORNEY United States Patent LFFTQROPUIZSION -FOR Clarence Gilbert .fIaylor, /Alliance,'0l1io Application December 17,1951, Serial No. 262,031

'5' Claims. (Cl..24'4-i1'5) This invention relates to 12am aeronautic vehicle :in which. a unit comprising .a propeller or its equivalent unpels a stream of :air .backward through an .aerodynamic-element or wing'of upwardly open ehannelj form with thewstream of pair having such :direction :r'elation Eto-thesaidielementthat it produces.annpwardnet force upon the said element.

:Devices of this .general character :have .:been 'i-known ;heretofore .and it has been provrensthat theyare -hig'hly efiicient v.in .the development. of lift, i even with the craft theld 'stationary inrelation to 'the :ground. lSoi far as l am aware, however, change of .-'direction or strength of the upward aerodynamic forcei-sustainedby the uni-thas been effected :only ;by 'changing'zthe angular relationof the channel wing to the .zpropeller, by swinging of the wlngupon ahorizontalaxis, which varies the efiicie'ncy of the unit. Also, so .far as vI .am aware, noprov-ision .has .beenamade for;turning-Jof'the unit or any part ot-it, upon a vertical :axis, forrightwardrand leftward iva'r'i'a- :tion of the terrestrialdirection of the nets-aerodynamic force sustained by thecnnit, or for .turningthe unit, or any part of it, upon afore-and-aft axis for that'pur-pose.

My 'chief objects .are to provide an improved Faerodynamic device by correcting some or all of the deiiciencies above set out; to provide-a craft adaptedfor .a more nearly verticaltake .oif'rthani'has' beenspossible with the earlier craft referred to; toproviderforconveniently trimming :such .a vehicle to compensate X01 loss of .power .of one :or more motors ofa .multi-motor craft; to provide simplicity, lightness, compactness, strength and economy of' structure; to provide low head resistance :of parasitic parts; :and to provide improved fefiiciency throughout .the .ranges ofslan'd'speedand rates of climb.

. I attain these objects ibyl'mounting the channel wing and its propeller :as 'a unitin the angular relatiomwith regard-to tangle -of.-'attack,z.in which they have the highest efliciency, and providing .for'za'djustme'nt of this-unit .as a whole about :ahorizontal itransverse axis, with .zt-ht: propeller and wing remaining in their optimum angular relationship; by providing for. adjustment of the "unit as a whole :about :a vertical axis and preferablyzalso about .a-zforea'nd-a'ft axis, :as analternative ore-as :an additional expedient, for compensatory In'nnriingof the era'ft, as above mentioned; and by making the wing of rshell-1ike metal pieces .of which-at least :some: have curvaturein a plurality of dimensions, so that thawing will have, in conjunction with lightness, :a high degree of strength, preferably such as to permit: the wing to haveits -moun'ting-support at one side only of its-channel.

f the accompanying. drawings:

Fig. v1 is a side :elevationof an iaircraft'embodying my invention :in a simple form, .andemploying only one of the channel-wing assemblies.

.Fig. 2.-is asection'on line T22 of..Fi'g. .1.

Fig. 3 is ayplan view of an airplaneof conventional type modified by the-incorporation therein of two of the channel-wing units.

.lF ig. 4. is .aview from: above, on a larger -sc'al'e,-. ofzthe left-hand one of the channel-wing assemblies shown in Fig, 3, with parts sectioned on line 44 .ofFig, 5..

Fig. '5 is an elevation, from. the rear, :of. the assembly shown in Fig. 4, with ,par'tsusectionedon line '15.5.'of Fig. 4.

Fig. 6 is a diagrammaticillustration of itheadjustmerit; providedifor the .channel-wingunit of. Figs. 3., 4 and: i

Fig. 7 is an axially-extending section of one of rthe channel wmgst showing :apreferred type 50f construction for iprovidingfiwith .lightness, thestrengthyneces- .sary for .=the-.'type oi :onees'ide -mounti-ng'tha't shown in :Figs. :-3, 4:*and:5. A Eiheferning 'flIStztO -.'the embodiment that is" shown fin figs. 1 "and .2,:the.aircraft bodywor fuselage, 10,

projecting upward .from .it, .a pair .of bearing-brackets 151,

titheelower side of :the --channel element 14.

*In ;-fore-and-aft section this channel element has i-a cshape corresponding to that of any-.-conventional-.!or"deusira ble airfoil, as-illustrated :by .the dotted sline.. 1 51and fullzli'ne loin-Fig.1 in transverse seotionit-preferably is substantially-of U-shape, as shown-in Fig. '2, and :is of :dirninishingwthicldness in "-the upper. -marg-ins of the arms ofthe U, :as shown at '17, :17.

--Conneeting and-rigid with .the legs'ofthe U near their :llpper-ends .i-isz abridge structure 18,10 :the under iSidCQOf which. is fixedly-secured a motor -19 which ;has mounted upon its shaft a propeller 20. The invention .is ::Il0t wholly .li-rnited, however, -:to .-a :motor locally mounted .-for :driving :thelpropeller. I

Ff'he propeller; preferably .-at the rear =of.-and [at least partly withinthe channel of the :channel element 14, with-the blades -j'ust clearing the inner wall of thechannn'el, so that'rthe rblades willimpel.air rearwardlywsubstantially throughout :the cross-section of ithe channel.

Thetchannel element :14, :bridgeist-ruoture 1 8, .rnjotor 19, and propeller 20 constitute a hinged :unitdnwhich the ';propeller hasdixed angular relationto [the channel element, preferably such-asrto iprovide the maximum litt- .dragratio forthe channel element, 'dr-ag being equal and ropposite to-tche axial forward.-thrust.of ithe -propelleria-nd lift being considered, regardless of tilting of :the unit, asthe-aerodynam-ic force at right-anglesito thechord of thechannel member -at its middle fore-and-aftplane.

For tilting the nnit, and holding itIin-the different attitudes, the rook-shaft -12 hassecured to itsmid'dle a downwardly "extending rocker arm 21 which is connected by ia.;.push=and-,pull rod 22 running vto a-su-itable .-1ever., ratchet and pawl assembly 23 mounted in the eook-pit. v

(Possible positions of adjustment of the channel ;elevmerit 142a-re indicated by the dotted lines 1-4 and -14 =in In-thiszembodiment conventional wings arenotem- :ployed, the chanel wing providing suificient hit when oft suitable. size in;-r.elat;ion to the weight of the craft.

The center of gravity can below by reason ofH-the 'f act. that with backward tilting of thechannel-wing' unit "the net ,-.aerodynamic force'sustained by the craft, not beingwholly dependent upon forward movement'of ,the craft through thea'air, .can be a vertical or nearly vertical 'lforce. l lowever, for lateral stability at fast ground .-speed,-it..is desirable to have the center of-gravi-ty reasonably close-to the center-of lift and to have small :a-ilerons 24, 24 (with suitable controls, not :shown). For max-inum leverage :the ailerons are here shown as being mounted on the outer sides of the widest part of the channel element.

The tail surfaces, including a'zrudder 25 and-elevator 26, are. here shown as being -high,:so that they-\will not .bet'ooimuch .inthe blast of the propeller. .Ihepilots compartment isishow-n as being high, -to avoidan-excessivel-y low :center of gravity while having clearance .betweenthe .fuselage and the wing unit large enough-to permit wide-range tilting of the latter .in relat-ion to the fuselage. At the .same time, the top of .thepilots compartment is :not so high as to interfere excessively withthe efiiciency ofthe channel wing. The top of the :compartment, sloping downwardly and rearwardly, can supplement, to some 1 extent, the lifting effect of the wing.

The mode .ofoperation of the embodiment just described :will' be :clear ,from the foregoing description,;and .itwill be manifestrthat the craft can take ofi tome-very short 'runway,-or, with suitable proportions,- canwhavewa vertical-net aerodynamic :foree, imposed .upon. it,.as the 3 resultant of the forwardly inclined thrust of the propeller and the backwardly inclined lift as above defined, so that the craft can take off vertically, and without the fuselage sustaining excessive yawing torque reaction of the propeller.

Preferably the center of gravity is sufficiently low to nullify rolling torque reaction of the propeller.

In the embodiment shown in Figs. 3 to 7, each of the wings of a conventional aeroplane is notched out at the rear, as at 27, 27, Fig. 3, to accommodate propelling channel-element units, 28, 28 similar to the one above described. The invention is of course not limited to the particular number of such units.

Each of the units, comprising a channel element 29, bridge structure 30, motor 31 and propeller 32, is here shown, Figs. 4 and 5, as being connected to the wing 33 or 33 of the plane only at one side of the channel member, the latter, by reason of its type of construction hereinafter described, having sufficient cantilever strength to sustain the weight of the unit when the craft is at rest and to sustain the aerodynamic force imposed upon the wing by the unit when the craft is in flight.

The connection between the unit and the wing, as it will be hereinafter described, is such that, in relation to the wing, considered as being horizontal, the unit can be angularly adjusted about a horizontal transverse axis y-y, Fig. 6, for varying toward and from vertical the resultant of the propellers forward thrust and the lift of the channel element; about a vertical axis zz for directing that resultant rightwardly or leftwardly, as for trimming the craft to compensate for failure or partial failure of one or more motors; and about a fore-andaft axis xx, this adjustment also having the effect of directing the mentioned resultant rightwardly or leftwardly, and thus being employable as either an alternative or a supplement to the adjustment about the vertical axis z, z.

In Fig. 3, the notch 27 at the right-hand side of the plane is shown as being shaped to provide clearance chiefly for turning the unit to the right from its normal position, and the opposite is shown at the left-hand side of the plane.

Assuming that the left-hand motor, of the unit 28 has ceased to function, the right-hand unit, 28, is turned by turning of its axle shaft 12, so that the net aerodynamic force sustained by the unit is farther from vertical and is thus more forwardly directed. This avoids such excessive lift of the unit 28 in relation to that of the dead unit 28 as would excessively roll the craft to the left. This adjustment, while thus making the right hand unit 28 less effective as a lift element, with respect to the craft as a whole, also makes it more effective as a propelling element, to compensate at least partially for the loss of propulsion in the left-hand unit 28 All of the propulsion, and accordingly the center of thrust, now being on the right hand side, however, there would be, in the absence of further adjustment, a yawing of the plane to the left, slowing and thus decreasing the lift of the left wing assembly and/or speeding up and thus increasing the lift of the right wing assembly, with consequent roll of the craft to the left.

This can be prevented by appropriate application of rudder and, with the right hand acting as a propulsion element rather than a lift element, and with the angle of attack of the main wings appropriately increased, the craft can proceed to its destination, as in the case of a conventional plane.

The other adjustments provided for the channel unit, however, make it possible for the craft to proceedwith better efiiciency and consequently with greater speed.

As above indicated, the right hand unit, in the situation assumed, can be turned to the right, about the vertical axis ZZ, Fig. 6, and/or tilted about the fore-and-aft axis, x, x, Fig. 6, with or without supplemental applica tion of rudder.

The immediate effect is the production of an oblique force upon the craft as a whole, which urges the craft in the direction of the oblique force and thus produces dominant impact upon the righthand side of vertical tail surfaces. This is supplemented by increased drag of the right-hand unit itself, with respect to the original direction of travel, the result being resistance of yawing of the craft to the left. This, being a retardation of the right wing 33 and a relative acceleration of the left wing 33, tends to equalize the lift at the two sides of the 4 plane in spite of loss of propulsion and partial loss of lift of the left-hand channel unit 28.

As the craft further proceeds, the propulsive force of the right-hand channel unit 28 continues to be oblique to the craft as a whole, being given a direction such as to contribute to lateral and longitudinal stability and proper direction of travel.

If the axis zz adjustment and resulting tail-surface effects are not sufiicient, without excessively heavy rudder, to maintain speed and lift of the left-hand side of the plane equal to those of the right-hand side, that result can be contributed to by further change of direction of the net aerodynamic force applied by the unit 28 to the rest of the craft. Tilting the unit 28 to the right about its fore-and-aft axis, xx, will lessen the component of its force that is perpendicular to the chord of the main wing 33, which is lift in the sense of being a supplement to the lift of the wing 33, thus lessening the lift of the right-hand side of the craft to compensate for the decrease of lift of the left-hand channel element 28. Such rightward tilting, like the rightward turning, of the right-hand unit 28, also will increase the drag of the unit itself, with respect to the crafts line of travel, and thus assist the tail surfaces in maintaining equal speed and equal lift of the two sides of the plane.

In the embodiment here shown, in Figs. 3 to 7, the mounting of the right-hand unit 28 is a mirror image of that of the left-hand unit 28*, in view of which a description of the latter, shown schematically in Figs. 4 and 5, will be suflicient.

This mounting comprises a pair of vertically spaced apart brackets 34, 3S rigidly projecting outwardly from one of the side arms of the channel element 29. These brackets are rigidly connected by a guide rail 36, which is curved about the fore-and-aft axis of the channel element as a center of curvature. This guide-rail preferably is of non-circular section, and permissibly of T section, when only one such guide-rail is present, to provide strong holding of the channel element against undesired turning about its vertical axis, while also providing strength against bending in the plane of its curvature.

Slidably mounted upon the guide-rail 36 is a correspondingly curved slide 37 which is mounted as a knuckle-joint head, with a vertical axis 37 upon a rockshaft 38, the latter being journaled by bearings 39, 40, in structural elements 41, 42 of the wing 33 (Fig. 3).

Suitable means, such as a vertical hydraulic-cylinder assembly 43, connects the upper bracket, 35, with the knuckle-joint head 37, for running the guide-rail 36 in the knuckle-joint head 37 and thus adjusting the channel element 29 about its fore-and-aft axis, xx of Fig. 6.

At the forward side of the shaft 38, and obscured by it in Fig. 5, a hydraulic-cylinder assembly 43 connects a forward projection 44 on the knuckle-joint head (Fig. 4) with a bracket 45 secured upon the shaft, for adjusting the channel element 29 about its vertical axis, zz of Fig. 6.

At its end farthest from the channel element the shaft 38 is provided with a rocker arm 46 having manual control means, inclusive of a link 47, for adjusting the channel element about its transverse horizontal axis, yy of Fig. 6

To provide, in conjunction with lightness, adequate strength of the channel element for it to have only one of its arms connected to the wing 33, the channel element preferably is made as shown in Fig. 7, in which the element comprises two shell-like, formed sheet, pieces 48, 49, suitably joined at their forward margins in a seam 50 and joined at their rear margins in a seam 51.

As each of the pieces is curved in large parts of its extent in a plurality of the three dimensions and as the structure as a whole has the strength of hollow form it can be adequately strong without internal bracing.

The mode of operation has been set out above.

Modifications are possible without departure from the scope of the invention as defined in the appended claims.

I claim:

1. An aerodynamic device comprising a support, an assembly hingedly mounted on said support, said assembly comprising an airfoil member defining a channel for the passage of a slip-stream through its said channel and means fixed in relation to said airfoil member for impelling a stream of air in such direction through the said channel of said airfoil member as to provide an aerodynamic force upon the said airfoil member in a direction transverse to that of the said stream of air, and means for turning said airfoil member and said impelling means as a unit, about the hinge axis of said assembly, in relation to said support.

2. A device as defined in claim 1 in which the airfoil member, in section transverse to the direction of relative Enovement of the recited stream of air, is of open U orm.

3. A device as defined in claim 1 in which the recited assembly is hingedly mounted upon a plurality of axes in relation to the recited support.

4. A device as defined in claim 1 in which the recited airfoil is of upwardly open U form, is hinged to the support at one of its sides, as its only strain-sustaining connection to the support, and comprises, as a wall, a shell member of which a portion is curved in a plurality of the three dimensions.

5. A device as defined in claim 1 in which the specified airfoil member, constituting a part of the hinged assembly, comprises a hollow-shell member which defines the slip-stream channel as specified, the wall of said member which defines the hollow space within it being of substantially rigid material and constituting substantially the only strength-giving element of said member, a portion of the said wall being curved in a plurality of the three dimensions.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,443,567 Dornier Jan. 30, 1923 1,742,461 Cuddy Jan. 7, 1930 1,766,390 Lapin June 24, 1930 2,176,476 1939 2,437,684 Custer Mar. 16, 1948 2,476,482 Custer July 19, 1949 2,532,482 Custer Dec. 5, 1950 

